Media Watch - Jan 23
Top Birmingham City Council Stories:
’80p drinks’ club night is cancelled after protest (Birmingham Mail) Nightclub promoters have been criticised for luring clubbers to Twisted Monday events – by offering drinks for just 80p. Council spokesperson quoted explaining that this promotion does not contravene the Home Office guidelines on responsible drinks promotions.
Fish tragedy ‘second at lake’ (Birmingham Mail, Daily Mirror) A park lake (Swanshurst) where hundreds of fish died during a council inspection of anti-flood measures was the scene of a similar tragedy eight years ago.
1 in 3 young city adults smoke, reveals report (Birmingham Mail) One in three young people in Birmingham are active smokers and the premature deaths from the habit cost the city about £24 million each year, according to figures from Birmingham City Council. Quotes Dr Adrian Phillips.
Birmingham welcome for plain packaging (BBC WM, Heart) Birmingham Director of Public Health, Dr Adrian Phillips, welcomes news that MPs will vote on standardised packaging for cigarettes before May’s General Election.
Brum’s great minds ‘would be appalled at library cuts’ (Birmingham Mail) Birmingham’s great industrial and scientific pioneers would be ‘turning in their graves’ if they saw the Library of Birmingham facing drastic cuts just 18 months after opening to global acclaim, says the city’s prestigious Lunar Society. Quotes Brian Gambles.
Kids’ homes to be privatised (Birmingham Mail) Birmingham City Council is to press ahead with the privatisation of its five remaining children’s homes despite vehement opposition from staff and unions. Quotes Cllr Brigid Jones saying that an outside provider would be better to run the homes under a lease arrangement.
Major Irish dance event set for city (Birmingham Mail) Birmingham is set to become one of the world’s Irish dance capitals as a major competition, involving hopefuls from around the globe, takes place. Birmingham City Council thanked for support.
DCLG reveals panel to assess Birmingham (The Municipal Journal) The team of commissioners drafted in to help improve Birmingham City Council has named by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Quotes Sir Albert Bore.
School crossing patrols in Stoke (Central News) Passing reference to Birmingham’s budget proposals.
Further coverage of NEC sale (Solihull News, The Municipal Journal, Our Dogs)
Regional Headlines:
Man’s skip firm death investigated - An investigation is launched after a man died at a skip firm in Birmingham
Double murder accused ‘saw killers’ - A man accused of murdering two pensioners in their homes tells his trial he was there when both were attacked but was not the person responsible.
Birmingham ‘Tate Gallery’ plan not dead, says Ikon boss - Shelved plans to build a gallery “the size of the Tate Modern” in Birmingham could be resurrected if funding is found, the BBC has been told.
National Headlines:
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah dies - Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has died in hospital, royal officials announce, weeks after being admitted with a lung infection.
Ebola vaccine ‘shipped to Liberia’ - The first batch of a vaccine against Ebola is on its way to Liberia and trials are expected to start soon.
Hutchison boss in talks to buy O2 - Asia’s richest person Li Ka-shing confirms his company is offering to buy Britain’s second-largest mobile provider O2 for up to £10.25bn ($15.4bn).
